Apparatus for wrapping shrubs



April 12, 1949.

Filed March 14, 194? E. H. YOUNG ET AL 2,467,286

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING SHRUBS 3 Sheets-Sheet l April 12, 1949. E, H, YOUNG ET AL R 2,467,286 9 APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING SHRUBS Filed March 14, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor 6W wm April E. H. YOUNG ET AL 2,467,286

APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING SHRUBS Filed March 14, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 qa w Q x i h k Patented Apr. 12, 1949 APPARATUS FOR WRAPPING SHRUBS Ernest H. Young, Niagara Falls, and Andrew W. Nowacki, North Tonawanda, N. Y., assignors to Comstock & Wescott, Inc., Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 14, 1947, Serial No. 734,584

Claims.

This invention relates to the spiral wrapping of shrubs and the like, and particularly the provision of apparatus for the spiral wrapping of shrubs comprising the following cooperative devices:

Firstly, a spiral wrapping unit comprising a spiral wrapping head which is preferably of a silent drive type together with the requisite accoutrements including suitable supporting structure, safety guards, drive, speed reduction, power source and control means for engaging and disengaging the wrapping head from the source of power, the control means preferably being of the friction clutch type adapted to give the operator a complete control over the speed of the wrapping operation and an ease of application and stoppage of power.

Secondly, a shrub guide mechanism, located adjacent the wrapping head, preferably easily adjustable, serving to guide and support the shrub in an axially centered position in respect of the wrapping zone of the wrapping head. The shrub guiding mechanism in its preferred form is provided with a shrub centering and tension resisting element or pin which is usually made integral with the shrub guide as a part thereof, and projects in use into the center of the wrapping zone coaxially with the shrub and is particularly effective in imparting protection against damage to the shrub tips and insuring a uniform tight wrapping of the upper portions of the shrub.

Third, a shrub traveling unit or carriage mechanism comprising a holding device adapted to hold the butt or root ball of the shrub in such position that the upper part or branched portions of the shrub lies coaxially in respect of the wrapping head is provided together with suitable tracks or rails for conveying the holder or carriage structure to and away from the wrapping head along the line of its axis. The holder is preferably facilely adjustable for holding and centering different size shrub butts and is in its preferred form designed to frictionally hold the shrub butt firmly against axial pull while permitting ready withdrawal of the shrub by upward lift. The shrub carriage is further designed in its preferred form so as to be easily engaged by a driving means to carry it away from the wrapping head and equipped with some form of quick release and return mechanism for bringing the carriage back to the vicinity of the wrapping head. A power source for driving the carriage in its travel away from the wrapping head may be the same or different from that employed for driving the wrapping head and is preferably used nipulation.

characteristics are satisfactory for the intended purposes and are preferably designed to permit slowing down of both mechanisms without altering their relative speeds. It is also desirable that such controls permit of independently varying the speed of either the wrapping head or the carriage mechanism.

Spiral wrapping is an old and well known art as applied to long and frequently flimsy or flexible objects, such as wire and cable, and to shorter rigid objects, such as metal pipe. However, such operations have not hitherto been successfully applied to short objects, flimsy or flexible at least in part and irregular in length and diameter, such as shrubs, no devices having hitherto been known capable of meeting the many difficult requirements of spirally wrapping such objects in a practical and economical manner.

One of the most difiicult requirements of shrub wrapping is speed. To be useful and acceptable, a spiral shrub wrapping device should be capable of wrapping an average shrub in around fortyfive seconds. During this short time it is necessary to traverse the shrub through a wrapping zone at speeds such as to control the overlap of the paper or other wrapping material, to hold the shrub positioned centrally in the wrapping zone while resisting the side or lateral pull of the wrapping paper, to stiffen or reinforce the flimsy upper portions and tip of the shrub against the lateral pull and protect against even breakage by this side tension, to provide for slowing down the speed of the wrapping operation at portions of greatly increased shrub diameter so as to prevent too great and sudden increase of tension and consequent breakage without necessarily thereby changing the overlap, and finally to increase the overlap where required for greater strength in the opinion of the operator. No prior art device has been known which would make all the above objectives possible and practicable.

The objects of the present invention include the provision of inexpensive, ready and effective means for the spiral wrapping of shrubs, capable of producing a shrub package of superior compactness and of excellent resistance to damage in shipping, with great saving of labor in wrap-- ping as compared to known hand wrapping materials including both paper and twine. Spiral wrapping has not heretofore been usable in connection with shrub packaging for the reasons given above, and shrubs havetherefore hitherto been wrapped substantially exclusively by rolling up by hand in rectangular sheets of paper with hand tying. Because of the irregular shape, when sufiicient width of paper was used for the large portions, there has been a very excessive use of paper at the smaller portions, and hand tying has been necessary at frequent intervals along the length of the shrub. With highly skilled operators and frequent tying it has been possible to make bundles which-were neat in appearance after shipping but with such labor as has been available to many shippers the packages have been unsightly after the rough handling incident to shipping, and indeed, sometimes have failed to survive the rigors of handling in shipment. The superior compactness of the shrub package produced by operation of an apparatus made in accordance with the present invention and the superior appearance after shipping as compared to a great deal of hand wrapped material, results inherently from the tightness and uniformity of the spiral wrapping at all points and from the avoidance of the use of excess paper. Use of the wrapping equipment disclosed herein has resulted in halving the labor used in previous hand wrapping, and the material savingsh'ave also approximated fifty percent.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing depicting schematically various views of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and in which Figure 1 is a schematic front plan View of the wrapping head and'shrub guide mechanism showling a shrub in process of being wrapped. The Wrapping head is depicted with only one supply reel of wrapping material and the associated feed devices for purposes of simplicity and because such added details are unnecessary for an nnderstanding of the invention. For the same reasons the greater part of the supporting framework and guard structure have been omitted from Figure 1 and other figures of the drawing.

Figure 2' is a schematic side plan view, partially in section, of the wrapping head and shrub guide means shown in Figure 1, and shows further details of the shrub guide mechanism and also schematically presents details of the shrub carniage mechanism.

Figure 3 is an end view of the shrub holder of the carriage mechanism shown in Figure 2 as it is when adjusted for holding a small size shrub butt or root ball, and showing the means for adjusting the spread of the holder arms and the axial alignment of the shrub with the axial center of the wrapping zone.

Figure 4 is 'a view similar to Figure 3 showing the same shrub holder as it is when adjusted for holding a large size shrub butt.

Figure 5 is an enlarged side view of the upper portion of a shrub in the process of being wrapped and depicts in further detail the rigid centering and tension resisting pin of the shrub guide. mechanism.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail of the friction clutching and quick release device on the shrub carriage mechanism.

Figure '7 isa schematic side plan view of the shru b wrapping unit shown in Figure 1 and is taken from the same side as Figure 1, but is directed to the power source and details of the control means for engaging and disengaging the wrapping head and shrub carriage mechanisms and controlling the speed of the wrapping operatic-n.

Figure 3 is a view, partly in section, taken through the line VIIIVIII of Figure 7.

Figures 8a and 8b are detailed views of the moving friction roller and operating lever, showing the position to which the lever is moved to throw the friction roller into driving relationship and out of driving relationship, respectively, with the rotating plate.

Referring in further detail to the various figures of the drawing in which like numerals in the various figures refer to the same parts, the spiral wrapping unit or mechanism comprises a rotary Wrapping head It mounted in suitable supporting framework (not shown) and guard structure and suitably driven by a power source with which thewrapping head is connected and to which it can be engaged or disengaged by suitable control means which are preferably of the frictional clutch type. The wrapping head comprises an'annular plate II provided withfia steel peripheral bearing rim l2. The annular rotary plate I I is preferably made of plywood or similar strong "but lightweight material in order to reduce the weight of the'wrapping head as much as possible without undue sacrifice in strength, thereby minimizing noise and wear and tear on the mechanism. The plate circumscribes a circular space'M, herein referred to as the wrapping zone, which is approximately two feet in diameter so as to accommodate shrub sizes approaching that size at their greatest crosssection. The plate ll rests and rides upon steel flanged, rubber rollers I5 and I6 through which the plate is frictionally driven. Suitable pressure is obtained between the rotary plate and the rollers l5 and 16 by rubber pressure roller I? which is pivotally mounted by means of lever arm is, the pressure being maintained by spring l9. Annular plate I l isheld in vertical alignment by passing between rubber side guide rollers 20 bearing upon the side surfaces of the steel bearing rim [2 and mounted on the supporting framework through mounting bracket v 2i.

Mounted upon the flat side surface of the rotary plate H are a plurality of rotatable supply reels. 22 (one of which is shown in the drawing), each one of which is adapted'to hold a roll 23 of strip wrapping material 24, such as creped wrapping paper, which is fed through a suitabletensioning device 25, which in the specific embodiment herein depicted consists of two pins 26, 21 between and about which the-strip of wrapping material is deviously threaded. In its preferred form this tensioning device is providedwith a numbered dial by means ofwhich the plate 29 of the tensioning device can be adjusted to vary the amount or degree of deviation of the therein threaded wrapping material, thereby increasing the tension applied thereto during the wrapping operation. Obviously, a greater number of pins can be employed in this type of tensioning device, and other types of tensioning devices can be substituted there-for, if desired. From the tensioning device the strip of wrapping material can be passed directly to the shrub to be wrapped, although lit is preferred to provide a seizure de- .vice by which the free endof the wrapping material can be gripped to prevent the remainder of a partially used roll of material from loosening on the supply reel and unwinding between individual wrapping operations and can be also used to hold taut the reserve rolls of wrapping material when a plurality of reels are provided about the periphery of the annular plate H, and are loaded with reserve rolls of wrapping material.

The shrub 3| is conducted through the wrapping zone by a shrub carriage mechanism, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, comprising a holder adapted to frictionally engage the butt or root ball 32 of the shrub, which has been previously burlapped, with the branch portions 33 of the shrub extending axially centralized into the wrapping zone [4. The Shrubholder comprises pairs of friction arms, as, for example, steel rods 34 suitably provided with ribbed rubber sleeves to provide a friction gripping surface, and which together form a V-shaped holder for the shrub butt. The shrub is firmly gripped by the friction surfaced arms so as not to be easily moved or dislodged from the holder by lateral acting, side or axial disturbing forces, while at the same time permitting ready and quick withdrawal by an upward lift of the shrub butt. As shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 3, the shrub holder is adapted to hold large or small size shrubs by an adjustment of the width of spread of the arms 34 which are spread apart or brought together by manipulation of the threaded adjusting rod 35 by means of handle 36. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, regardless of whether a small or large size shrub is being held, the shrub butt 32 is axially aligned with the center of the wrapping zone since, when the arms are spread apart for reception of large shrub butts, the butt is seated in the holder at a lower level than is the case with smaller butts seated in the holder with the arms closer together. The shrub carriage is mounted on a dolly or platform 31, the wheels 38 of which ride upon suitable tracks or rails 39, so disposed as to carry the shrub holder to and from the wrapping head with the shrub always in axial alignment with the center of the wrapping zone.

The carriage is frictionally driven by a slippable clutch drive, the specific form shown being an endless friction belt 40 mounted on pulleys 4|, 42 and driven by a power source (not shown). Obviously, the belt and pulleys of the specific mechanism as shown can be replaced by a suitable arrangement of chain and sprockets. The carriage is frictionally engaged with the belt by a quick release mechanism, see Figure 6, comprising a segmental clutch plate 44 pivoted by pin 45 and coacting roller wheel 49 and having fingertip control lever 46 and spring 41 for holding the clutch plate out of engagement with the drive belt 40. When the clutch plate is in the position shown in Figure 2 the carriage mechanism through engagement with the belt 40 travels away from the wrapping head until the clutch plate 44 is driven against a safety release pin 48 which shoves the clutch plate around to the position shown in Figure 6 whereupon the carriage is thrown out of engagement with the belt drive and is free to return to the vicinity of the wrapping head. Disengagernent can also be readily brought about by a quick thrust on the shrub in the direction of power travel. The rails or tracks are preferably sloped sufficiently toward the wrapping head that the incline thereof brings about a gravity return of the unloaded and disengaged carriage to a point adjacent the wrapping head. Quick return of the carriage to the wrapping head can be accomplished by any one or more of the group of actions including manual pull on the shrub, direct gravity, counterweights, and spring action. Antifriction rollers on the carriage and good track or rail surfaces facilitating a ready movement of the carriage with application of slight force promote a quick return action.

The shrub as it is drawn through the wrapping zone is supported and maintained in the center of the wrapping zone by means of a shrub guide comprising a pair of roller arms 50, each of which comprises a fixed core or pin and a freely rotatable sleeve thereon which together form a V-shaped holder for the shrub branches and are mounted at the top of a vertical supporting post or stand 5|, the height of which is adjustable by a counterweighting mechanism comprising the counterweight 52, pulley 53, cable 54 and telescoping sleeve or collar 55. Although the arms 50 of the V-shaped holder in the drawing are freely rotatable, rotatability of the arms, although preferred, is not absolutely essential as long as the arms are relatively free from friction or gripping action on the shrub and permits it to slide or move over the arms during the wrapping operation. Fastened to and part of the shrub guide so that it projects into the proximate center of the wrapping zone I4 is a substantially rigid centering and tension resisting pin 56. This pin projects into the wrapping zone throughout the wrapping operation and serves to keep the shrub in the proximate center of the wrapping zone at all times. It is particularly efiective in preventing lateral weaving of the shrub due to the side pull of the tensioned wrapping material, especially during the latter part of the wrapping operation, and also protects the upper part and tip of the shrub from damage such as breakage, in addition to insuring a uniform, tight wrapping of the shrub throughout. The manner in which it protects the shrub tip while permitting ready withdrawal of the pin at the conclusion of the wrapping operation is shown clearly in Figure 5.

The control or controls for throwing the wrapping head and/or the carriage mechanism into engagement with the source or sources of power and for governing the rate of speed of the two mechanisms are preferably located adjacent the wrapping head where the operator normally takes his position, and are also preferably of the kneeacting lever arm or foot-treadle type so that they can be operated without manual manipulation, thus leaving the operator free to use both hands for other operations. The controls for governing the rotary speed of the wrapping head and the traverse speed of the shrub carriage in their preferred form are of the slippable clutch variety, as by the application or release of tensioning means against a frictional driving belt. The two mechanisms can be operated from a single controland the speeds of the two governed and adjusted by a single operation whereby the speed ratio between the two remains constant at all speeds, or optionally, separate speed control means can be provided for the two mechanisms whereby each can be adjusted or disengaged independently of the other.

The slippable clutch control means for throwing the wrapping head and the carriage mechanism into engagement with the source of power and for governing the rate of speeds of the two mechanisms as used in the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2 is depicted schematically in Figures 7 and 8. As therein shown, the electricmotor 58 has pulley 59 mounted on th motor shaft SH and connected by a friction V-belt 6|v to pulley 62 which is mounted alongside and on the shaft 63 of the steel flanged, rubber roller l which frictionally engages the rim [2 of the annular wrapping plate H. Pulley B2 in turn is connected by friction V-belt 64 to a similar pulley 65 mounted on shaft 66 of rubber roller l6. Motor 58 is pivotally mounted by means of bracket 67 and pin 68 to a mounting plate 69. Spring 19, when the apparatus is not operating, presses against plate H tilting the motor upward toward pulley 62, thereby separating the belt 6! from its driving pulleys 59 and 62 so that the pulley 62 is not driven. When the foot treadle 12 on arm 13 is pressed down by the operator the motor 58 is drawn down to the position shown in Figures 7 and 8 whereupon the belt 6| is drawn tight and the rollers l5 and I6 set in motion. The greater the pressure applied to treadle I2 the more speed imparted to the rollers l5 and i6 and consequently the faster the annular plate H is rotated.

As the annular plate ll rotates it in turn frictionally drives roller l'5 on the shaft of which is also mounted pulley 718 which is connected to pulley H on reduction box 78 by means of V-belt T9. Pulley 80 is in turn set in motion and being connected by friction V-belt 8! to pulley 82 serves to set the carriage in motion since pulley 82 is mounted on the shaft 83 for roller H of the carriage traversing mechanism. Knee-action lever 84 is used to draw the friction roller away from the rota-ting plate whenever it is the desire of the operator to slow down or stop the traverse motion of the carriage without reducing the rotary speed of the wrapping head.

Operation of the apparatus hereinabove described is as follows: Assuming that one or more of the reels 22 on the wrapping head are loaded with rolls of wrapping material, the shrub guide means adjusted for height SO that the finger or pin extends into the proximate center of the wrapping zone [4 and the shrub carriage mechanism is in a position adjacent the wrapping head with the clutch plate 44 set to engage the driving belt it and with the arms 34 thereof adjusted to a spread adapted for receiving the size of shrub to be wrapped, the shrub butt is deposited in the holder between the arms 34 with the shrub branches extending axially through the wrapping zone M with that part of the shrub top closest the butt substantially inthe plane of the annular plate 1 i. The seizure device for one of the strips of wrapping material is released, and with the tension plate 29 set to provide the desired degree of tension, the free end of the wrapping material is pulled down and given approximately one turn about the shrub branches next to the root ball or butt. The power is then engaged and the wrapping head and shrub carriage set in motion at the desired speed, whereupon the movement of the carriage away from the wrapping head draws the shrub through the wrapping zone while simultaneously the rotation of the annular plate ll causes a strip of the wrapping material to be drawn from the rotating reel thereon, through the tensioning device 25, and to be spirally wound about the shrub from a point next to the butt progressively to the tip thereof. The rate of speed of the rotating wrapping head together with the rate of movement of the carriage away from the wrapping head determine the amount of overlap. of the contiguous windings of wrapping material on the shrub, and can be varied as the Wrapping operation proceeds to meet the needs at any point in the wrapping operation. Convenient maximum speeds for wrapping the greater portion of medium size shrubs has been generally found to be around 132 revolutions per minute for the wrapping head and approximately 22 linear feet per minute for the traverse speed of the shrub carriage. The speeds of wrapping are usually decreased at points of large crosssection of the shrub. Also, an important feature of the present apparatus is the ability of the operator, whenever it isv desired to increase the strength of the wrappings at any place along the shrub, to do so by independently lowering the traverse speed of the carriage mechanism while maintaining the same speed of the wrapping head. The shrub is supported in the center of the wrapping zone by the guide mechanism, the rigid centering and tension-resisting pin 56 serving to hold the shrub at all times, but particularly while the upper fragile portions and tip are being wrapped, in the center of the wrapping zone without lateral displacement or weaving and without damage to the shrub tip from the tension forces of the wrapping operation. When the wrapping of the shrub is completed the strip of wrapping material at the shrub tip fastened by clipping, tying or the like, and the quick release mechanism on the shrub carriage activated by forcing the clutch plate M against release pin 48, or by a quick endward thrust of the shrub, the shrub lifted upwardly from its holder and the empty carriage allowed to return by gravity, or by a reverse pull on the wrapped shrub before extraction of the shrub from the holder, or otherwise. A new shrub is then inserted in the holder and the operation repeated.

A wrapping material which has been found very satisfactory is laminated crepe paper, but by referring herein to paper as the wrapping material it is not desired to be so limited, since other equivalent materials may be used, such as reinforced crepe paper, burlap, etc. In general, it is desirable that the paper should partake to some degree of the nature of crepe paper. A suitable width of the strip of wrapping material has been found to be four inches, although greater or less widths of material can be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Although the present invention has been described as operating with the shrub in the horizontal position, itis not desired to be limited to such operation as it will readily be appreciated that the device can be arranged by slight alterations to operate in a vertical position or in intermediate positions.

For purposes of this specification and claims, a wrapping head or a spiral wrapping head is defined as a device similar to those hitherto used in the spiral wrapping of such products as wire and cable and comprising an annular member carrying at least one roll of paper, the annular member being rotatable on and supported by suitable means, the rotation being about the center of a central opening in said annular member large enough to receive and pass the largest object to be wrapped, the roll of paper being rotatably mounted subject to adjustable friction retardation.

around an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the said annular member. The paper roll is adapted to be rotated by pull upon the paper. The travel of the paper, rotation of the paper roll, and resulting tension of the paper is usually controlled by passing the paper through a. friction fork mounted upon the annular member adjacent to the paper roll.

A spiral wrapping unit, as the term is herein used, is meant to comprise a spiral wrapping head with suitable supports, guards, drive, speed reductions and power source.

Where the pin of the shrub guide mechanism is described herein or defined in the claims as being substantially rigid it is intended to cover and include a pin or member which is relatively rigid with respect to the fragile upper portions and tip of the shrub so as to protect it from damage during the wrapping operation and which is sufiiciently rigid to withstand the tensional pull of the paper or other wrapping material without weaving or play of the pin or shrub portions protected thereby to an excessive or undesirable extent.

By slippable clutch characteristics is meant those inherent in most friction clutches in the eration of wrapping for shipment that portion of the shrub above the butt or root ball. The term shrub as used herein is intended to cover one or more shrubs or small trees, usually several such, tied into a bundle. In preparation for shipment, the root portion or butt is usually wrapped in an operation preceding the wrapping of the stem, trunk and branch portions. Such above defined shrubs as are dealt with herein are usually from three to six feet long in the smaller sizes to twelve to eighteen feet long in the larger sizes, these being the lengths exclusive of the root portions. The stem, trunk or branch portion is irregularly variable in diameter or cross section, with the maximum diameter rarely exceeding twenty inches and usually tapering to a mere twig or a few twigs at the tip opposite the root portion. Thus the end opposite the root portion is usually quite flexible and tapers away to almost no diameter at all.

Having described the present invention in detail and how it operates, it is desired to claim:

We claim:

1. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of wrapping material about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, moveable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the Wrapping zone of said wrapping mechanism, said carriage mechanism comprising a V-shaped holder, the sides of which holder are provided with friction grips for holding a shrub held therein against lateral forces, and means for adjusting and fixing the receptive capacity of said holder, shrub guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation, said guide means comprising a substantially rigid reinforcing element projecting into the proximate center of the wrapping zone so as to extend lengthwise of a shrub from the tip towards the base thereof, and power engaging and disengaging means.

2. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally Winding a continuous strip of wrapping material about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, moveable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the wrapping zone of said Wrapping mechanism, said carriage mechanism comprising a V-shaped holder, the sides of which holder are provided with friction grips for holding a shrub held therein against lateral forces,

and means for adjusting and fixing the receptive capacity of said holder without substantial vertical change in the location of the axial center of a shrub placed therein, shrub guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation, said guide means comprising a substantially rigid reinforcing element projecting into the proximate center of the wrapping zone as to extend lengthwise of a shrub from the tip towards the base thereof, and power engaging and disengaging means.

3. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of wrapping material about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, moveable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the wrapping zone of said Wrapping mechanism, said carriage mechanism comprising a V-shaped holder, means for adjusting and fixing the receptive capacity of said holder, means comprising guide rails for carrying said holder to and from the wrapping head, driving means for moving said holder in a direction away from said wrapping head, and means for the sudden release and return of said holder to the wrapping head substantially independently of said driving means, shrub guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said Wrapping zone during the wrapping operation, said guide means comprising a substantially rigid reinforcing element projecting into the proximate center of the wrapping zone so as to extend lengthwise of a shrub from the tip towards the base thereof, and power engaging and disengaging means.

4. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs come prising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of wrapping material about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, moveable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the Wrapping zone of said wrapping mechanism, said carriage mechanism comprising a V-shaped holder, means for adjusting and fixing the receptive capacity of said holder, means comprising guide rails for carrying said holder to and from the Wrapping head, driving means for moving said holder in a direction away from said wrapping head, and means for the sudden release and return of said holder to the wrapping head substantially independently of said driving means, shrub guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation, said guide means comprising a substantially rigid reinforcing element projecting into the proximate center of the wrapping zone so as to extend lengthwise of a shrub from the tip towards the base thereof, and power .engaging and disengaging means, said power engaging and disengaging means comprising clutch control means for varying the speed of the wrapping operation, the control means being so located as to be operable at a point adjacent the wrapping head without manual manipulation.

5. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of wrapping material tightly about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, moveable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the wrapping zone of said wrapping mechanism, guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation, said guide means comprising a pair of freely rotatable roller arms so mounted on a mounting block as to form a V- shaped holder for the branch portions of the shrub adjacent the wrapping zone and allow the shrub to move freely through the wrapping zone, and a substantially rigid reinforcing element secured to the base of said V-shaped holder and projecting into the proximate center of the wrapping zone so as to extend lengthwise of a shrub from the tip towards the base thereof, and power engaging and disengaging means.

6. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of Wrapping material tightly about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, moveable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the wrapping zone of said wrapping mechanism, guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation, said guide means comprising a pair of freely rotatable roller arms so mounted on a vertically adjustable mounting block as to form a V-shaped holder for the branch portions of the shrub adjacent the wrapping zone and allow the shrub to move freely through the wrapping zone, and a substantially rigid reinforcing element secured to said block and projecting into the proximate center of the Wrapping zone so as to extend lengthwise of a shrub from the tip towards the base thereof, and power engaging and disengaging means.

7. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of wrapping material tightly about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, driving means for rotating said wrapping mechanism adapted for varyin the rotary speed of the wrapping mechanism whereby the rate of feed of the wrapping material can be changed as the wrapping of the shrub progresses from the butt to the tip thereof, moveable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the wrapping zone of said wrapping mechanism, and guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation.

8. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of wrapping material tightly about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, driving means for rotating said wrapping mechanism adapted for varying the rotary speed of the wrapping mechanism whereby the rate of feed of the wrapping material can be changed as the wrapping of the shrub progresses from the butt to the tip thereof, moveable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the wrapping zone of said wrapping mechanism, and guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub tip in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation, said guide means comprising a pair of freely rotatable roller arms so mounted on a mounting block as to form a V-shaped holder for the branch portions of the shrub adjacent the wrapping zone and allow the shrub to move freely through the wrapping zone, and a substantially rigid reinforcing pin secured to said block and projecting into the proximate center of the wrapping zone so as to extend lengthwise of a shrub from the tip towards the base thereof to prevent lateral displacement of the shrub while it is being wrapped and obtain a tight wrapping of the upper portions of the shrub without damaging the tip portion thereof.

9. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of wrapping material about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, movable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the wrapping zone of said wrapping mechanism, said carriage mechanism comprising a V-shaped holder, means for adjusting and fixing the receptive capacity of said holder, means comprising inclined guide rails for carrying said holder to and from the wrapping head, driving means for moving said holder in a direction away from said wrapping head, and means for the sudden release and return of said holder to the wrapping head substantially independently of said driving means, shrub guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation, said guide means comprising a substantially rigid reinforcing element projecting into the proximate center of the wrapping zone so as to extend lengthwise of a shrub from the tip towards the base thereof, and power engaging and disengaging means.

10. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of wrapping material tightly about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, said wrapping head comprising a rotatable annular plate having mounted thereon means for holding a supply of wrapping material in rolled strip form, means for maintaining a strip of the wrapping material under tension while it is being fed to a shrub being Wrapped, and driving means for rotating said annular plate, movable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the wrapping zone of said wrapping mechanism, and guide means for supporting and reinforcing the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation.

11. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of wrapping material tightly about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, said wrapping head comprising a rotatable annular plate having mounted thereon means for holding a supply of wrapping material in rolled strip form, means for maintaining a strip of the wrapping material under tension while it is being fed to a shrub being wrapped, and driving means for rotating said annular plate adapted for varying the rotary speed of said plate whereby the rate of feed of the wrapping material can be changed as the wrapping of the shrub progresses from the butt to the tip thereof, movable carriage mechanism for conveying the shub through the wrapping zone of said wrapping head, and guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation.

12. Apparatus for spirally wrapping shrubs comprising, in combination, a wrapping mechanism comprising a wrapping head for spirally winding a continuous strip of wrapping material tightly about a shrub from the butt progressively to the tip thereof, said wrapping head comprising a rotatable annular plate having mounted thereon means for holding a supply of wrapping material in rolled strip form, means for maintaining a strip of the wrapping material under tension while it is being fed to a shrub being wrapped, and driving means for rotating said annular plate, movable carriage mechanism for conveying the shrub through the wrapping zone of said wrapping mechanism, said carriage mechanism comprising a V-shaped holder, means for adjusting and fixing the receptive capacity of said holder, means comprising guide rails for carrying said holder to and from the wrapping head, driving means for moving said holder in a direction away from said wrapping head, and means for the sudden release and return of said holder to the Wrapping head substantially independently of said driving means, and guide means for supporting and reinforcing the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of said wrapping zone during the wrapping operation.

13. In a machine for spirally wrapping shrubs, guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of the wrapping zone during the wrapping operation, said guide means comprising a substantially rigid centering and tension resisting pin projecting into the proximate center of the wrapping zone so as to extend lengthwise of a shrub from the tip towards the base thereof to prevent lateral displacement of the shrub tip while it is being wrapped and obtain a tight wrapping of the upper portions of the shrub without damaging the tip portion thereof.

14. In a machine for spirally wrapping shrubs, guide means for supporting the branch portions of said shrub and maintaining each portion of said shrub in the proximate center of the wrapping zone during the wrapping operation, said guide means comprising a pair of freely rotatable roller arms so mounted on a mounting block as to form a V-shaped holder for the branch portions of the shrub adjacent the wrapping zone and allow the shrub to move freely through the wrapping zone, and a substantially rigid centering and tension resisting element secured to said block and projecting into the proximate center of the wrapping zone so as to extend lengthwise of a shrub from the tip towards the base thereof to prevent lateral displacement of the shrub tip while it is being wrapping and obtain a tight wrapping of the upper portions of the shrub without damaging the tip portions thereof.

15. In a machine for spirally wrapping shrubs, a shrub carriage mechanism for operation in combination with the wrapping head of the machine, said carriage mechanism comprising a V- shaped holder, means for adjusting and fixing the receptive capacity of said holder, means comprising guide rails for carrying said holder to and from the wrapping head, driving means for moving said holder in a direction away from said wrapping head, and means for the sudden release and return of said holder to the wrapping head substantially independently of said driving means.

ERNEST H. YOUNG. ANDREW W. NOWACKI.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wieczoreck Oct. 28, 1919 Number 

